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15Oct92 UK: ALFRED MCALPINE REVIVES PLAN TO BUILD £2BN TOWN.

15 October, 1992

Alfred McAlpine has revived plans to build a £2,000 million town with up to 3,000 homes in rural Cambridgeshire.the contractor's housing division has submitted an outline planning application to South Cambridgeshire council and is now drawing up an environmental statement.The 417 ha site, called Monkfield Park, is several miles west of Cambridge, near the village of Caxton. The north edge of the site is defined by the A45, which would be dualled to accommodate extra traffic generated by the development.McAlpine's planning application includes up to 3,000 homes, a local shopping centre, community facilities, two primary schools and pubs. A business park is also proposed along with extensive landscaping and public open spaces.The highway and drainage infrastructure is outlined in the application, including a bypass for Caxton.The structure plan for the area identifies the need for such a village. But a public inquiry into eight schemes resulted in Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine refusing all the applications earlier this year.One of the schemes had been put forward by Alfred McAlpine.Mr Heseltine said that house builders should use existing urban and village sites rather than build on rural land. He went against his planning inspector's recommendation that developer Stanhope should be granted outline consent for a scheme at Great Common Farm, which lies adjacent to Monkfield Park.House builders appear undeterred by Heseltine's opinions and planning applications for more new towns are expected.In addition, Mr Heseltine has moved to the Department of Trade and Industry and the views of the current Environment Secretary, Michael Howard, have not been tested.It is believed that Bovis Homes is about to submit a planning application to South Cambridgeshire council for the Great Common Farm site.